Decision & Control

Breadcrumb

Measurements are the key to knowledge. This also applies to intelligent vehicles, machines and production systems. But it doesn't stop there. In order to improve the performance level of these systems under all conditions, these measurements should also be used to robustly adapt their control.

Why this research?

Production environments face quite a few changes. They must start manufacturing in a highly adjustable way (lot size 1) at the lowest possible operational cost. Customers expect zero-defect products, absolute flexibility in customization and short delivery times. We’re evolving from mass production towards mass customisation.

Sensors play an important part in both production environments and autonomous vehicles. For instance, they can tell when a machine requires maintenance, monitor the product quality and calculate the efficiency of the production process. They determine the position and speed of a vehicle, distinguish between free and occupied space, differentiate between humans and machines, identify ripe fruits that need picking or pallet boards to be transported. Today, increasingly powerful, small and cheap sensors are being introduced onto the market, which continuously creates new opportunities.

But measuring is only the beginning. The collected data must be interpreted and, based on that, decisions must be taken to improve the production system and vehicle performance. However, in modern production environments these decisions are becoming increasingly complex because one should not only consider a variable production process but also a continuously changing production environment. Similarly, autonomous vehicles need to operate in complex, dynamically evolving environments. They need to adapt their path to avoid static and mobile obstacles, they must slow down near people but keep going when passing static obstacles.

Only by dedicated research in this field, we will achieve smart products (machines & vehicles) and high-performance production environments that are able to keep production activities in Flanders.

Indoor and outdoor localisation systems: AGVs, mobile robot platforms and drones. These typically make use of a variety of technologies. Our research focuses on finding the most efficient solution for improved accuracy, a higher update rate and a better cost efficiency.